Comiso, 23th October 1915 – Milan, 3th June 1997. Engaging every form of expression with his perpetual inspiration, nonconformist visual artist, sculptor, set designer and writer Salvatore Fiume examines critical aspects of the human existence: body, soul, myth and metaphysics. His work was deeply influenced by African art, Renaissance painting and modernist Italian artists, such as Giorgio de Chirico, and is characterized by brightness, vitality and magnitude. Fiume was invited to Babile valley in Ethiopia by his close friend, photographer, Walter Mori, where he painted a group of rocks. A full scale model of a section of those rocks was made by Fiume for the big anthological exhibition of 1974 at the Palazzo Reale of Milan. At the same exhibition the Gioconda Africana was displayed for the first time. Africa was a life-changing experience for Fiume as it was the place where he met an Ethiopian princess of a tribe, who became his lifelong partner. Celebrating their inimitable connection and inspired by her feminine strength and beauty, he created jewelry as gifts to her. His triptych “Isola di statue” earned him a cover on Life magazine in 1950.
”The only way to truly understand who you really are and unlock your full potential is to face as many challenges as possible”